So after the winter stint my rad is leaking. This current part is a recorded item bought second hand. I have been looking at the alloy rads on eBay. Most of them are described as s1 s2 s3 however I thought the s1 and s2 cars had a smaller rad with an oil cooler underneath. S3 has a larger rad with the beehive oil cooler. Most of the ones on eBay look like s1 s2 rads. Am I right? If so anyone know of a good s3 rad?

Bloody excellent quality and comparatively cheap (at the time, though the marvellous Brexit Effect continues to knacker the exchange rate almost daily). Be aware some aftermarket ones don't have the extra pipe union for the heater matrix!

kenwhiteside wrote:So after the winter stint my rad is leaking. This current part is a recorded item bought second hand. I have been looking at the alloy rads on eBay. Most of them are described as s1 s2 s3 however I thought the s1 and s2 cars had a smaller rad with an oil cooler underneath. S3 has a larger rad with the beehive oil cooler. Most of the ones on eBay look like s1 s2 rads. Am I right? If so anyone know of a good s3 rad?

Yes S3 rads are the taller ones.
But I don't know any reason why a good radiator specialist can't recore over and over again, since it's the matrix that's usually replaced. Shouldn't a good soldered seam be as strong as the factory original?

codge wrote:Yes S3 rads are the taller ones.
But I don't know any reason why a good radiator specialist can't recore over and over again, since it's the matrix that's usually replaced. Shouldn't a good soldered seam be as strong as the factory original?